It’s 40 years for Vari

Longest-serving staff of Theodist Ltd recalls selling surveying and drafting equipment and how the company grew to become the ‘stationery supermarket’ it is today

By ALPHONSE BARIASI
IN 1981, a 23-old newly married man from Rigo in Central walked into a shop sell surveying and drafting equipment at Tabari Place, Port Moresby to work as a counter salesman.
Little did he know that he was entering a job and a relationship that would last four decades.
After those 40 years the man, Vari Gari, now a 63-year-old father of five children and grandfather of eight is happily counting down his days to a well-deserved retirement. However, that will not happen just yet. He has at least two more years to go before seriously considering an exit.
It is amazing how, as the merchandising sector of the PNG economy grew leaps and bounds, and many doors of employment were opening here and there since those yearly years, that Vari has stuck faithfully to his ‘first love.’
He will retire after having served this one company, Theodist Ltd, which now prides itself as the stationery supermarket.
Selling is Gari’s specialty and Theodist is where he has given salesmanship his best shot and succeeded, considering the number of years he has been at it. He is the longest serving employee of the company.
Asked why he has been loyal to Theodist this long, Vari said it was a simple give and take. He takes care of his company’s business and interests and the company reciprocates.
“The company looks after me very well,” Gari said.
Theodist started with selling surveying and drafting equipment and years later when it ventured into the stationery business, growth seemed to have happened overnight. Today Theodist is the largest reatailer and wholesale supplier of stationery.
From stationery it has diverified its range of products to furniture, office equipment, printing and information technology supplies and services.
Change of locations
Growth and expansion over the years also meant change in locations in Port Moresby. From that initial Tabari arcade it moved to a site along the present-day Poreporena Highway, near Coca-Cola Amatil, then eventually to its present premise along Waigani Drive. Theodist has branches in Lae and Mt Hagen as well.
The name Theodist is derived from theodolite – a surveying instrument used for precise angular measurement in both horizontal and vertical planes. So it made sense that the seller of theodolites should be called Theodist!
But since tapping into the business of stationery, Theodist has somewhat come so far away from selling theodolites, chain surveying equipment and drafting accessories. (Those not familar with the story might find it a little odd that surveying equipment are sold in astationery shop.)
Vari joined the company a few years after brothers, Kevin and Paul Pini started Theodist – from Kevin’s background in surveying and drafting.
When Vari joined there were only three other black Papua New Guineans working for the white Papua New Guinean Pini brothers.
A turning point
Selling stationery was the turning point for Theodist and Vari has grown in experience and is a highly successful stationery salesman.
Vari and his wife Cathy (of Central and Milne Bay parentage) have three daughters and two sons. Daughters Annette, Barbara and Salome have their own families already while sons James and Vari Junior are single.
Vari said he considered the Pini family as his too. No doubt he was among thousands of Papua New Guineans all around the country who erupted in euphoria when Ryan Pini (Kevin’s son) won the country’s first swimming gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
In fact Ryan, the Pini family and Theodist Ltd have done much good to the sport of swimming in particular and in other areas of national life, something which Vari is also personally proud of and thankful for.
In 2018, after living in company-provided accommodation in the city Vari built a family home at Gereka along the Magi Highway. That is where he will settle down in retirement, he said.
But the still-active and happy salesman said it would not be an idle retirement. There are things that he would want to devote more of is time to which he was not able to while working full-time.
Besides his salesman job, he has also been an active member of the Rev Sione Kami Memorial Church for 20 years. For the last three years he has been a deacon.
More church work is definitely something he wants to continue doing in retirement.
He believes God has been with him during his long career because over the years he enjoyed the favour of God through his employer.
“When you put God first, all else will fall in line,” Vari declared.
Travelling and meeting people have been the best part of his long career.
“I have really enjoyed travelling around the country, meeting clients and striking deals with them,” he said.
From his forays into the provinces he has returned with secured contracts without fail.
He enjoys working with and helping schools especially.
When we spoke to him last week for this story he had a container packed and ready to be shipped to a customer in Tabubil, Western.
Vari has been a worthy example to his younger colleagues, if nothing else, at least by his loyalty in four decades of salesmaship.